Orchard Lounge Review / Rex Theater (Pittsburgh, PA) / 11-30-2012

Published: December 4, 2012

By Ryan Cummings

Hot off of their 23-city Nocturne tour, Ben Silver, Spencer Lokken, and Bethany Briscoe Lokken of Orchard Lounge, took the stage one at a time, to craft an amazingly unique set. Alternating on the turntables, the tag team played some of their favorite records and sampled various musical styles including techno, house, hip-hop, and funk. The show wasn’t sold out, so it was comfortable to move and groove out on the dance floor of the Rex. A new addition to some shows at the theater, boxes with LED hula-hoopers, added to the excitement of the open dance floor. The set began with Spencer playing funky techno and heavy dance beats and the crowed started to boogie. In true OL fashion he dropped the beat from “Forgot About Dre” and instantly sent every single fan into a dance frenzy. The DJ collective from Chicago is renowned for their legendary sampling and mixing techniques.

The DJs of Orchard Lounge played to the crowd and seemed like they were enjoying themselves and having a blast onstage as they always do. When Bethany took over the turntables, she laid down some powerful and grooving house beats. “Flauta Magica” by Funkagenda wafted over the sweaty crowd. Ben hit the decks and was spinning a little old school tech and some disco infused electro with even more sweet samples. The set included plenty of dub style with vinyl scratching madness, the DJs made sure everyone was feeling the music. Featuring mostly underground artists, the set included a mind-blowing blend of throwback electro-boogie, house, and techno. The Rex Theater has an astounding sound system and the tunes pumping out of the speakers were incredible to say the least. The last track of the night was straight disco, Studio 54 style, a perfect way to end an unforgettable set.

The Orchard Lounge set is an experience that needs to be witnessed live. Their improvisational approach stands out in a scene full of premixed sets played on laptops. They have been playing music together for more than a decade and they have blossomed into a truly exceptional group. This set at the Rex in Pittsburgh was so much more intimate then their sets at festivals; it was great to catch them on their final leg of this fall tour.